Vanilla Twilight
by ParadiseAvenger
Summary: Ben Ten was a hero and Julie was his girlfriend, but it was never as easy or simple as the old comic books made it look. Instead, after a brush with danger, Ben does the unthinkable to protect her. Mild Adult Themes. BenXJulie. Minor GwenXKevin.
1. Part I: Ben's Life

Please, check out my first ORIGINAL NOVEL! The Breaking of Poisonwood by **Paradise Avenger**. (Summary: People were dead. When Skye Davis bought me at a slave auction as a birthday present for his brother, I had no idea what my new life was going to be like, but I had never expected _this_. It all started when Venus de Luna was killed and I was to take her place, to become the new savior… Then, bad things happened and some people died. In the heart of the earth, we discovered the ancient being that Frank Davis had found and created and used to his advantage. The _Poisonwood_—)

Julie really deserves more credit. She's such a good character with so much potential, but the writers just leave her out.

_**WEE! MY FORTY-FIFTH STORY!**_

The title makes no sense, I know. I happened to be listening to Owl City's "Vanilla Twilight" while I was writing this and it just kind of stuck to it. Oh well… Here's the link for the cool Ben 10 and "Vanilla Twilight" video I was watching. You know the drill, remove spaces: http: /www. youtube. com/watch?v=4rO5w4VBZOQ

**~Wednesday, November 15: Morning~**

"_Dating a superhero… Lois Lane and Mary Jane Watson (1) make it look so easy. Sure, they occasionally get used as bait for a deadly trap for their dearly beloveds, but then they're rescued, share a sweet and passionate kiss with their heroes, and that's that. They made it look so freaking easy!" the young woman snapped at her reflection in the mirror, fingering the fresh bruise that had started all this. _

_Her alien pet, Ship, quietly asked her what was wrong in their personal private language._

"_The reality is…" she sighed, her brown eyes welling with tears, "It isn't easy at all…" _

_Again, he inquired what was bothering her._

_She sighed heavily to herself, sat down on the bed, and petted the little alien. "Wait… maybe I should start from the beginning…"_

_And so she did._

**~Two Days Before, November 13: Early Morning~**

For Julie Yamamoto, the day started out rather promising and slowly went downhill from there. Her boyfriend, Ben Tennyson, was coming over for a quick morning study session before a massive physics test, then they were going to walk to school together, and after that they were going to hang out. Julie didn't have tennis practice. Gwen and Kevin were in charge of any alien activity that happened to blow in, but it had been a quiet week so Ben was confident that they wouldn't need him for anything. (But he once again had to tell Julie that if something did happen and they needed him, he would have to go. She agreed with him.) Everything was set up. Everything was perfect!

Yeah, right. Not when dating a superhero was involved.

Everything was fine until they left for school. They were chatting, laughing, just enjoying the bright morning sunlight and each other's company. Then, there was a massive crash. Ben reacted with his usual grace and dexterity—he positioned himself in front of Julie protectively, yanked up his sleeve, and had his hand over the Ultimatrix before Julie could even blink. But, it had been nothing more than the paperboy knocking over some trashcans up the street.

She put her hand on his elbow. "Ben, it's nothing," she said, smiling cutely.

Ben blushed, rubbing the back of his head shyly. "I know," he said with a light laugh. "I'm sorry, Julie. It's just that… with nothing happening all week, I'm a little wound up. I feel like something's going to happen only I don't know what it is. That makes no sense at all, right?"

She giggled. "It's alright, Ben. You're probably just worried about the test."

"Yeah," he agreed, but his green eyes still scanned the street carefully.

Together, they helped the young paperboy gather up the scattered papers, straighten up the trashcans, dust himself off, got him back onto his bike, and continued their walk to school. The morning air was crisp and wonderful. The leaves were all in colors of flames, rattling lightly. Soon, they would be falling and winter would be upon Bellwood. This would be Julie's first Christmas with Ben. Last Christmas, they had planned to be together, but some superhero stuff had come up on him suddenly and he'd had to leave.

"Hey Ben?" Julie murmured, slipping her arm through his.

He looked down at her, his grass-green eyes softer than they had ever been. Was he thinking about all the times he had had to leave her for something dangerous too? Was he sad?

Julie looked away. "No, never mind."

There was another crash. After the last false alarm, Ben didn't immediately respond. He glanced away from her face, looking back over his shoulder, and Julie saw his expression abruptly change. Then, he shoved her aside, out of the way into the soft grass, and slapped his hand down on the Ultimatrix. There wasn't even time for him to proclaim the alien he had chosen before the giant tank of the Forever Knights smashed into him sidelong.

"Ben!" Julie shouted as he was thrown backwards, his body breaking into a nearby car. "I mean, Swampfire!"

"I'm okay!" he shouted back, his voice garbled by the alien transformation. "Get out of here, Julie!"

This was one of those times where dating a superhero was a terrible burden. She knew Ben could take care of himself, but she still worried about him. Even worse, she was no help to him—in fact, she was more likely his Achilles' Heel. If he was protecting her, he wouldn't be able to destroy the Forever Knights before they hurt someone. She nodded, grabbed his discarded backpack, and ran for the relative safety of the high school building.

Already, a crowd of students, teachers, and media were gathering to watch the spectacle unfolding. No one took notice of Julie. They were busy watching Ben fight and didn't swamp her with questions and for that she was grateful. She hated the spotlight on their relationship and she knew Ben did too. She stood on the stoop with the crowd, watching as Ben easily defeated the single tank and sent the Forever Knights running back to whatever little hidey-hole they had sprung out of.

The moment he was human again, the media circus was all over him.

Julie saw his face pale in worry and his eyes sought out hers even over the great distance between them. She sent him a small nod and his lips curved downward into sorrow and disappointment, with himself, she knew. Once again, his hero business had gotten between them. As the news anchors approached with all their microphones and bright lights, Ben turned into Goop and didn't even speak the alien's name before sliding through the cracks in the manhole cover.

Just like that, Ben was gone.

Though Julie waited for him to return to school all day, he never showed. He didn't even come in to take his physics test. She ate lunch alone, forcing back the pain in her chest. Ben was a superhero, she reminded herself, so it wasn't his fault that he was once again breaking a promise he had made to her. If it had to be his promises to her or the life of a couple thousand people, even Julie knew what she would pick. Even so, it didn't make it hurt any less.

She muddled through the rest of the day, hoping that she would at least get to see Ben tonight. There was that at least for her to look forward to.

The Forever Knights weren't hell-bent on destroying or taking over the world. They just had something against aliens and were often only after new ways to take them down. It was in everyone's best interest that Ben, Gwen, and Kevin continue to keep the Forever Knights out of order, though, as most of the Plumbers' Kids were aliens or part-alien after all. But there was a pretty good chance that Ben would hand them their asses on a plate and that would be that.

Yeah, Julie was certain she would at least get to see Ben tonight. She smiled all through her Physics test.

…

Sure enough, looking guilty, Ben was waiting for her after school with the black and green Omnitrix-esque car Kevin had built him. She got into the passenger seat quickly and they pulled away from the high school before any media or fans could be alerted that the 'Great Ben Tennyson,' the 'Hero of Heroes' or the 'Menace to Beat All Others' was there. He had already had a enough commotion and attention with his small skirmish with the Forever Knights that morning.

"I'm really sorry," Ben began as he pulled out of the school's parking lot, but Julie cut him off.

"It's alright," she said softly, smiling at him. "I understand. Hero stuff." She sighed to herself. "You have to save the world."

Ben looked unspeakably relieved. "Yeah, but still… it's not fair that I have to run off on you all the time. I wish I could just take a day off or something."

"It doesn't quite work that way, Ben," Julie murmured. She laid her hand over his on the steering wheel and he squeezed her fingers gently. "It's not your fault."

"I'll make it up to you," he murmured.

"I know you will," Julie said and then looked out the window at the passing scenery.

She knew it wasn't Ben's fault that he was always running off and she might have told him that it was alright, but it really wasn't—not for her. She wanted the kind of superhero boyfriend she saw on TV. She wanted the ones that got a day off from monsters to be with their loved ones and just be normal in their secret identity, but they only got those days because it was scripted that way and the media had found out Ben's secret.

Ben was a real hero. He had obligations that couldn't just be ignored because she wanted him to herself. He didn't have a choice.

In reality, she supposed, Ben was the one who was really getting the short end of everything. He had no time for anything anymore. He had had to quit playing soccer, something she knew he really liked and was good at. He didn't have any time for a relationship with her. He didn't even had time for any friends outside of the Plumbers' Kids, Gwen, and Kevin. Squeezing in time to study and keep up in his schoolwork was a constant struggle. He didn't even have time for sleeping much anymore, pulling all-nighters with some frequency which was so visible in his face.

"Julie?" Ben murmured and squeezed her hand, interlacing their fingers and pulling her from her thoughts. "I _am _sorry. I'll try to make it up to you. Gwen and Kevin are taking care of the Forever Knights, but if they need me…" he trailed off, his face falling.

She rubbed her thumb over his knuckles, rough from the few punches he had thrown in his human body. "I understand."

They rolled to a stop at a stop sign. Ben looked away from the road, met her eyes deeply, and squeezed her fingers. His green eyes shone, desperate and guilty and oh-so wanting. "But we have _this_," he whispered. "We have this moment…"

"I know," she whispered.

It would be so easy to lean forward and kiss him, to kiss him on the lips for the very first time. She had only kissed him on the cheek, once, one quick time when he was really down after everyone had discovered his identity. He had been afraid everyone would hate him, but she never could. His cheek had been so soft and warm then and Ben had just stared after her, his eyes wide, as if he had never expected to be kissed by anyone. He was very different from all the other boys, what with the Omnitrix and all.

God, how easy it would be to kiss him now. He was right there, inches from her, gripping her hand softly, leaning in. She had absolute control over one of the universe's most powerful forces for good in that small moment. She wondered what he would taste like. She wondered if she would taste any of the adoring fans that had attacked him and managed to steal a kiss. She wondered if his lips were as soft and warm as they looked. Her eyelids fluttered closed and she could feel Ben's soft nervous breath on her lips, teasing her, tantalizing.

Then, sharply, a horn blasted.

Just like that, the moment was shattered.

Ben jolted, shooting a glare into the rearview mirror and simultaneously pulling at his jacket sleeve in case it was an alien after him again. But it was nothing more than an angry human driver. Apparently, while they were stopped, another car had rolled up behind them and was impatient for them to get moving again. Ben rolled through the stop sign and Julie pulled her fingers away, missing the moment of hurt and regret that flashed across his pale features.

Ben drove them to his house, deserted since his parents were still at work, and carried both their backpacks inside. Julie closed the door behind them, leaning lightly against it a moment in the dimness of the hallway as Ben groped out the light switch from behind a large potted fichus. Warm amber light flooded the hall and he led her to the kitchen, setting down their stuff and opening the fridge.

"Do you want anything?" he asked.

_Yeah, a normal boyfriend who can be with me,_ she thought, but she could never say that to Ben. "Nah, I'm okay," she said instead.

Ben closed the fridge. "How much homework do we have?"

"Not that much. I took notes for you in English."

"You're a life saver," he said with a smile. "Do you want to work in the kitchen or the living room or…?"

Julie's brown eyes met Ben's as he trailed off. "Can we go to your bedroom?" she asked.

Ben stared into her eyes a moment, his throat working furiously, and he wet his lips. "Sure, whatever you want."

"Cool," Julie said to break the tension and slung her backpack over her shoulder.

Ben gathered up his and followed her upstairs. Thank god he had kind of cleaned today while he was hiding out from the media and fans. (Ever since Humungousaur had roared them away from the lawn, the Tennyson house was considered off-limits to adoring fans and snooping reporters alike. No one wanted to get roared at again and Ben really didn't want to have to do it either.) Julie sat down on his neatly-made bed, folding her hands in her lap. Ben set his backpack on his cleared desk, closed the door, and started to sit in the desk chair, but Julie met his eyes, pleadingly. Instead, Ben came to sit beside her.

The air between them was tense and thick with expectation.

"Julie," Ben murmured. "You don't have to… do anything you don't want to… with me…"

"What if I want to?" she whispered.

Ben met her eyes and they took Julie's breath away. He might have been a hero, but she hadn't realized how much he was suffering too and even haunted by insecurities and doubts. By the look of it, Ben was suffering a lot more than she even knew or could have even realized. His bright green eyes were bloodshot at the edges, red-rimmed, and there were faint dark circles beneath them from not sleeping enough. His lashes were so long and thick that they shadowed his handsome face. There was a thin scar through his eyebrow. Even, his face also looked tired and drawn, his thick chestnut hair tousled, and the dark pulse of blood in his throat beating swiftly.

"Are you nervous?" she whispered.

He jolted and she caught his hand, pulling him closer with that connection.

"Are you?" she asked again.

Ben shook his head. "No."

She closed her eyes, beginning, "Then wh—"

The gentle press of his lips cut her off. Immediately, before he could even think about pulling away, she wrapped her arms around his narrow shoulders and pulled him close. Ben's arms went around her waist, hugging her and sheltering her. He kissed her hard and deep, angling his head to have complete access to kissing her. Julie opened her mouth before he could and begged entrance. She felt Ben hesitate and brushed her thumbs over the exposed flesh at the back of his neck, her fingers tangling in his soft hair. He welcomed her in, their tongues darting nervously together.

When Ben guided her down and covered her own body with his own, she didn't protest in the least. She pulled his jacket from his shoulders, eager to touch him and almost desperate. He helped her pull it off without ever breaking their contact and tossed it over the desk chair behind him. She ran her hands down his strong shoulders and arms, even fingering at the Ultimatrix a moment, holding his biceps as he hung above her like the beautiful pale moon. She lifted her chin, kissing him harder, deeper, pouring all her feelings into him, and he drank all of her into himself.

Ben was a gentleman as he kissed her, never touching her inappropriately. His soft fingers only traced her collarbones and felt the pulse of her throat and gently flit across her toned stomach. But his mouth was far more fearless than his hands. She, on the other hand, was more than eager to explore and touch him. She slipped her hands beneath his shirt, feeling the musculature of his stomach and back and strong shoulders. His body was so warm, too, she just wished she could bask in him forever. Deeper, he kissed her, his tongue tasting every inch of her mouth.

Julie never wanted this to end. "Ben," she whispered into him, clutching his back and pulling him closer.

The wrist with the Ultimatrix on it was resting right next to her head, his fingers stroking her dark hair, and the unknown material of the watch was cool against her forehead. When the signal came in, Kevin's voice went right into her head like a shot.

Ben immediately leaped backwards from her, turning so that his friends wouldn't be able to see what they had been doing. "What's going on?"

"Tennyson! We could use a little help here!" Kevin Levin shouted, his voice echoing in the silence of Ben's bedroom. "Ouch! Damn it! Stop!" he shouted at someone else, then back to Ben. "I mean it! They had something lying in wait for us!"

"What is it?" he asked. He really didn't want to leave Julie, not now.

"Ow! Damn you!" Kevin either decked something or something decked him with a lot of crashing around. Then, the communication plummeted.

"Kevin? Gwen? Kevin!" Ben shouted at the watch.

Gwen suddenly had the Plumbers' Badge they used to communicate. "Hi Ben. Sorry. Kevin dropped it. I know you're with Julie, but we really need you. The Forever Knights have some kind of mechanical dragon or something. We really need your help."

Ben's face fell and he choked back his disappointment. "Okay," he murmured. "I'll be right there."

"I'm sorry, Ben," Gwen said softly. Then, she let the connection drop.

Ben turned to Julie, unable to speak.

She had been lying back on his bed, still frozen in place and breathing hard from when he had been kissing her, her dark hair strewn like coal on the creamy white sheets and her lovely coffee-colored eyes hazy with emotions. She had looked so beautiful—the epitome of his girl. But now, she was sitting up and straightening herself out. The moment between them had passed, shattered again.

"Julie, I… I have to go," he whispered.

"I know," she said softly.

"I'm sorry—"

She cut him off. "It's not your fault, Ben. You have to go help Gwen and Kevin."

He didn't have anything to say to that. He knew he had to go and there was nothing he could do. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't stay here with her, kissing her on his bed and enjoying it like he had never enjoyed anything in his life. He took a step towards her and the bed, considering kissing her quickly before he left to save his friends, but then he backed away. Instead, he said, "You can stay here. I'll drive you home when I get back."

She nodded, bangs shadowing her eyes so he couldn't even see her expression.

Ben went to the window, opened it, dialed up Jetray on the Ultimatrix, and was gone into the darkening sky without even his usual exclamation.

Julie closed the window and the curtains after him. In the dark, she made her way back to Ben's bed, toed off her white tennis shoes, and lay down on the soft mattress, inhaling the scent of her boyfriend. She pulled his pillow against her chest, holding it tightly, and fought back tears. She pressed her fingers to her lips, tender from being kissed so hard and so much. God, she loved Ben so much but this… this just was so hard! Why did it have to be this way?

The window slid open.

She sat up, hastily wiping her face. "Ben?"

It wasn't Ben.

**~End Part I~**

(1) For anyone who doesn't know, Lois Lane and Mary Jane Watson are Superman's and Spider-Man's girlfriends, respectively.

_**STORY NUMBER FORTY-FIVE, EVERYBODY! WOO! **_(I'm a little too excitable.)

Questions, comments, concerns?


	2. Part II: Ben's Protection

I have realized that when I write any sort of mushy squishy fluffy… err… fluff, the guys always come out so romanticized. Oh well! I guess I feel they need it.

**~Monday, November 13: Night~**

True to Gwen's word, the Forever Knights had built some kind of robotic dragon that spewed fire and the works. They also seemed to have built it out of alien metal and it was diamond hard. Nothing Gwen or Kevin could do was breaking it or even remotely close to damaging it. But, with the addition of Ben and the Ultimatrix and the slew of aliens it brought with it, it didn't take more than ten minutes for the trio's combined might to beat the dragon into a metal pulp. As usual, once their plan was wrecked and defeat was all that was left, the Forever Knights scattered like roaches under too much light.

Ben sighed as he powered down the watch and returned to human form.

Gwen put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry about your date with Julie, Ben," she said gently.

"Yeah," was all he said, softly.

Kevin kicked part of the ruined metal and sent it skidding across the concrete. "I'd love to know what this stuff is."

"Something hard and alien, Kevin. How about some sensitivity?" Gwen snapped at him.

"For what?" he asked, biting at the shard of metal he had picked up.

"Ben had to drop his date with Julie—again," she said, exasperated.

"So?" he asked with an uncaring roll of his shoulders. "They're pretty much over anyway. Ben has screwed up one too many times."

Ben whirled on him, swinging a wild punch. "We are not!" he shouted at Kevin.

Caught off-guard, Ben probably would have punched Kevin square in the mouth, but Gwen was faster. Her pink mana wrapped around his arm, yanked him back, and deposited him neatly on his ass on the cold concrete floor. Ben just sat there, staring at the ground, and Kevin was still in a state of shock.

"Ben!" she snapped. What was wrong with boys? "Kevin!"

"What was that for?" Kevin demanded, breaking out of his stupor and advancing on Ben.

Ben was silent.

"Well, Tennyson! Explain yourself!" Kevin shouted.

Gwen put him in a bubble of glowing mana and left him floating there, beating on the shield and yelling. She pulled Ben to his feet, led him outside to Kevin's car, and leaned him against the hood as a sort of seat. Inside the Forever Knights' ruined warehouse, she could hear Kevin shouting mutely but ignored him. "What's wrong, Ben?" she asked her cousin gently. "It's not like you to lose your temper like that. Are you having another fight with Julie?"

Ben sighed heavily, running his hands through his hair. "It's not that. It's…"

"What?" she urged.

Ben met her eyes, the same green as his own. They shared a lot of things—bloodlines, family, countless summers together, pain and struggle, a birthday, fighting aliens—and no one understood him the way Gwen did. "It's everything," he murmured. "Being a hero like this and getting swamped by the media all the time, I just… I don't have enough time for everything! I don't have the time for school or for Julie… I'm just getting so tired."

Gwen hugged him.

For a moment, Ben resisted, but then he allowed himself to melt into her. He hugged her tightly in return, burying his face in her shoulder, trembling like a bird. Gwen hadn't hugged him in a long time and she had never realized just how thin and fragile her cousin's body felt. He wasn't like Kevin, buff and built and hiding away his feelings from the world. Ben was soft and gentle and he was hurting because Julie was hurting. He was that kind of person.

Gwen stroked his hair comfortingly. It wasn't often Ben even considered breaking down like this. He must really like Julie for this to happen. "Ben, I'm sorry about you and Julie," she said gently. "Kevin and I will do what we can to give you two more time together."

"Thanks," he murmured. He pulled away, his green eyes brightly red-rimmed, but he wasn't crying.

"Ben, have you considered… letting Julie join us?" Gwen asked.

He looked as if she had punched him in the gut. "No!"

"Why not?" she asked lightly.

"Because…" he whispered. "She's just a human. What if she gets hurt?"

"She has Ship. He can be her battle suit," Gwen suggested. "She's pretty strong like that."

Ben looked away. "No. I want to protect Julie. I want her to be safe."

Gwen sighed. She knew where Ben was coming from. She felt the same way about Grandpa Max, even about Kevin and Ben. Knowing all three of them could hold their own—armed or simply there for support, powers or no, watch on the fritz or not—didn't prevent her from wishing there was something she could do so none of them would have to fight and put their lives in danger. Everyone wants to protect the ones they love, even if it was stupid concern. So, she nodded in agreement with her cousin.

"You understand?" he murmured.

"I do," Gwen said. "Now, when I let Kevin out, he's going to be pissed. Why don't you turn into Jetray and head back to Julie? It's not that late yet. You could still spend some time together."

Ben smiled at his cousin, tugging his jacket absently. "Thanks, Gwen," he murmured. Then, he smacked the Ultimatrix, cried out the alien's name for the first time all day, and headed for home feeling much better than he had all day. Talking to Gwen was always good for that.

…

His parents were home, sitting at the island in the kitchen over a nice dinner of quesadillas and stir-fried vegetables, when he came in. By now, they were used to seeing him as all his aliens, though they weren't quite used to the idea of their son, niece, and Grandpa Max being intergalactic heroes and Plumbers. One thing at a time, Ben figured, smiling at them. Sandra and Carl adjusted to change almost as well as Gwen's parents, Frank and Natalie, which was not very well at all.

Julie wasn't with them though. Strange, usually, his mother brought her down for dinner even if Ben wasn't there and he often wasn't so Julie as quite used to eating with his family. So much for not making his girlfriend feel awkward. She spent more time with his parents than she did with him.

"Hey Mom, Dad," Ben said with a wave. "Where's Julie?"

"What do you mean?" His mother, Sandra, asked.

Ben's brow wrinkled. "Did she leave? She was here."

"She must have. She's not here now," Sandra said. "Would you like some dinner?"

"I've got to make sure Julie got home okay and apologize for running off on her," Ben said.

"Oh, and Ben, you really have to stop leaving your window open. Something could get in."

"My window?" he repeated. He knew he had left it open when Jetray left, but Julie always closed it after him if she was there. Why hadn't she closed the window? Suddenly, that feeling slammed into him sidelong—the feeling that he had had all week that something was going to happen. "No," he breathed. Then, he raced up the stairs, flung open the door, and scanned his room for a sign.

Julie's backpack was still here. That settled it. She hadn't gone home, something had happened to her.

Ben tore the blankets off the bed, looked under it, tore open his closet and flung out clothing, he even yanked open the drawers of his desk, but there was nothing. Without a trace, Julie was gone from his room and his life.

"No!" he shouted and slammed his fist into his desk. The skin on his knuckles split and blood dripped between his long thin fingers, splattering onto the cleared-off wooden surface. Immediately, the ransom words blazed up, bright and hideous red.

'_Ben Ten, if you want to see the girl alive again, come to the pier, you know where. Come alone or she dies. Don't test me.'_

Rage swirled through Ben's veins until it was all that he knew.

One of his enemies had taken Julie! What if they had hurt her? And it was all because of him. They would have hurt her to get to him, just like when Zombozo and his crew of misfits had attacked his parents to hurt him. Some hero he was… He couldn't even protect his girlfriend. He couldn't even protect his family. He had to do something! He had to find a way to stop this from happening and he already knew how, but first, he had to save Julie!

…

The sky was deep cobalt and black, speckled with bright stars and alien planets. The moon was a bright disk in the sky, heavy and full and casting deep silver shadows all over Earth below. The pier was cold at night, an icy breeze blowing in off the ocean. Normally, Ben adored the pier and the ocean alike, but tonight they only reminded him how many cultures in the world sent their dead to the next world—through the ocean… What if Julie was already dead?

As Jetray, he touched down, but immediately returned himself to his human body in a shower of green light. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Julie!" His voice echoed and bounced over the waves, but no one answered. "Julie!"

"Ah, Ben Ten," a cold voice spoke from the shadows.

He whirled, his hands tightening into fists. "Where is Julie?"

"Out among the fishes."

Ben's heart lurched. "What?"

Then, Doctor Animo, riding astride a gigantic crab, emerged from the shadows.

The relief that flooded through Ben's blood was so strong it almost sent him to his knees. Doctor Animo! It was only Animo. He could have laughed out loud. Animo was one of his childhood villains and he had always been one of the worst. Even at ten, without Gwen and Grandpa Max's help, he had been able to take down Animo single-handed. It was only Animo! He quickly gathered himself back together and stood tall to face the mad scientist.

"What do you want, Animo?" he demanded.

"You—dead!" The crab took a swipe at Ben, but even as a human, he could keep ahead of those monstrous pinchers.

"Where is Julie?"

"Don't worry. Once I kill you, I'll let her go."

"Where is she?"

Animo tilted his chin out to the ocean. Ben put his back to the madman to search for Julie. If she was in immediate danger, Animo could wait. It took him a moment to find her and then he almost sighed in relief again. She was tied to the buoy, tossing uncomfortably out among the waves. She looked cold and unhappy, but completely unhurt. Compared to the horrors he had been imagining, this was nothing. Hah, Doctor Animo! You think the stupid guy would learn that he was no match for Ben. He couldn't win when Ben was ten and he couldn't win now.

"Julie!" he shouted to her. "I'm here!"

"Ben!" she screamed, but she sounded happy to see him. Her hero was here to rescue her.

"Just hang in there," he called.

"Okay!" Julie shouted, her voice a little shaky.

"Where do you think you're looking, boy?" Animo shrieked.

The crab's claw came down just beside Ben's body, breaking the pier and the railing with a crash. Some planks splashed down into the briny waves and bobbed on the waves. For a moment, Ben just stood there, surprised with Animo, before the wooden planks broke apart beneath his feet and he crashed down into the icy water. He heard Julie scream his name in panic. Beneath the waves, Ben spun the dial on the Omnitrix and slapped it. Then, in a torrent of frozen droplets, he broke back to the surface.

"Big Chill!" he exclaimed. The moth-like wings enveloping him and chasing away the chill that the cold ocean had seeped into his human bones. Sometimes, he wished he had normal superhero powers like Kevin and Gwen, powers that didn't time out with the watch.

Animo's face balked in fear. He must have expected something in the water to destroy Ben, but what?

"Ben!" Julie screamed, panic edging her voice like he had never heard before.

He whirled, ready to freeze anything moving into a block of ice. Then, he saw it—a gigantic mutant shark created by Animo large and mean enough to rival Jaws.

Animo laughed out loud. "You've doomed her, boy! My pet won't stop until he feeds and you were meant to be his meal! The girl will die!"

Ben dove back into the water, freezing everything in his path. All he had to do was reach the shark before it reached Julie and it would be all over. One punch would take care of Animo and once Ben destroyed whatever he had used to mutate the animals, they would turn back to normal. But first—"Julie!"

The shark's massive head broke the surface just beside the buoy, teeth and yawning mouth prepared to eat her in one bite. Julie screamed, closing her eyes and turning her face away. Animo was laughing and Ben was only inches away. Big Chill had ghostly abilities so Ben dove straight into the maw of the shark and froze the creature from the inside out. When Julie opened her eyes again, the shark was frozen in the act of attempting to eat her and Animo was shouting in rage.

But, where was Ben? He hadn't really sacrificed himself to the shark, right?

A moment later, Big Chill appeared beside her, perched on a floating iceberg with his thick blue wings wrapped around himself, hooded and cloaked. "Julie, it's okay," he said gently and broke apart the chains holding her to the buoy.

She fell into his arms, slipping on the ice. "Ben!" she gasped.

"You're okay," he whispered, holding her close and stroking her hair. Her small thin body was cold, but he could feel her fast heartbeat. She was alive. Thank god she was alive. And for the very first time, Ben wanted to outright slaughter his enemy. How dare Animo put her in danger like that! "Hold on," he murmured. Then, he gathered her up against his chest, flew back to the broken pier, and landed beside Animo and his crab.

The crab took a swipe at him, but he let his body go intangible so the claw just passed through him.

Animo squawked in surprise and fear. He had never seen Ben like this. Maybe taking the girl hadn't been such a good idea. In fact, maybe it had been flat-out a very bad idea. He was about to beg for mercy when Big Chill breathed icy air on him and put both Animo and his crab on ice.

Big Chill returned to Ben, set Julie on her feet, and took off his green jacket. He wrapped it around her shoulders, rubbing her body with his hands to warm her up. Jesus, her skin was like ice. Holding her so close while he was Big Chill probably hadn't helped her much either. "I'm sorry, Julie," he murmured, rubbing her arms and shoulders.

She threw her arms around him and embraced him tightly. "I knew you'd come to save me," she whispered.

"Julie," he whispered and hugged her in return. This was so hard. He cared about her so much, but just being near him would put her in danger. She wasn't like Gwen, able to protect herself and others. Julie was just a human, sweet and innocent and so perfect for him. He didn't want to let her go. He would have given up the Omnitrix for her, but he couldn't give it up. He had duties to the Plumbers and to the universe.

She squeezed him tightly. "It wasn't your fault, Ben."

"Yes it was. It's because you're with me."

Julie cupped his face firmly between her cold hands. "Ben?"

He shook his head. "Let's get you home," he murmured. He considered between Jetray and Big Chill a moment—if he chose Big Chill, he could hold shivering Julie in his arms, but that alien was cold to begin with, but he needed his arms to fly as Jetray which meant Julie would be right out there in the wind. It was probably six of one, half a dozen of another. So, he chose Big Chill, gathered her up inside his wings, and took to the sky.

It was the thought that counts, Julie considered as Big Chill held her close. He was cold though and she only shivered harder, but Ben was doing all he could to keep her warm after being on the buoy had soaked her. She hugged his jacket closer, inhaling the warm scent of his body. Then, a little too soon for her liking, Big Chill set down outside her house, released her, and once again became Ben.

"Do you want to come in?" she asked him, standing close to soak up the warmth of his human body.

Ben wrapped his arms around her. "No. I've got to call Gwen and Kevin and pick Animo up before he thaws out."

"You can't spare a minute?" Julie asked softly, her voice breaking.

Ben couldn't tell her no. He let her bring him into her empty house, bid a quick hello to the little alien pet Ship, and finally up to her bedroom. She patted the space on the bed beside her and he sat down, pulling the blankets of her bed around her. "You should really get warmed up, Julie, take a hot bath or something," he suggested, watching her shiver.

"I will," she said, smiling. "After you leave."

It was then that he saw the dark mark on her face, a bruise, swelling swiftly into a black eye. He gasped, his eyes widening, and tenderly touched her face. "What happened?"

"It's nothing," she said, pressing her fingers absently to the damage. "That creep hit me when he took me out of your room."

"It's not nothing," Ben said softly, drawing his hand away from her face. "It's a black eye. What will your parents say?"

Julie caught his hand, holding tightly. "It's okay, Ben, really. I'll just tell them I got hit by a wild ball at tennis practice."

"It's not okay. I'm a hero, but I can't even protect my girlfriend!" Ben leaped up from the bed, pacing quickly to the window and looking out. "And I'm making you lie to your parents."

"Ben, you get hurt sometimes, too."

"I'm a hero. It's different for me."

"And I'm a hero's girlfriend. I expect a little danger now and then," she said gently.

"Not anymore," he whispered, so soft that she couldn't even hear him, just saw his lips move.

"Ben?"

"Julie," he murmured, keeping his back to her. "I… I don't think we should see each other anymore."

She felt like a gaping hole had been punched through her chest and she fisted her hands in the blankets of her bed, the ones Ben had wrapped her in. "W-what? W-why?" she whispered.

Ben opened the window. "Because…" He wanted to tell her the truth—that it wasn't safe for her to be around him and that all he wanted was to protect her, but he knew she wouldn't care about that and somehow cave his heart into staying with her regardless of the danger. But he cared too much for her to let her get hurt again. He was lucky it had only been Doctor Animo who had taken her and not someone unspeakably dangerous like Vilgax. "Because… there's someone else," he lied firmly.

Julie's toffee eyes narrowed. "Ben Tennyson, you are a liar."

"No, I'm not," he continued with the lie, his heart breaking for what he was doing to them. "There's someone else for me. I… I think I'm in love with her."

Tears welled up in her eyes. "W-who is it?"

"I can't tell you."

"You have to!" she shouted.

Ben flinched inside.

"Who am I losing you to?" she whispered.

"Julie, I… I can't do that. I'm in love with someone else and it's not right of me to string either of you along," he murmured to her. "We just can't be together anymore. I hope you find someone else." Then, before his emotions could choke him, Ben silently turned into Big Chill, became invisible, and was gone into the night.

Julie ran to the window and cried his name, her voice echoing against the stars.

Ben heard her shouting for him, her voice breaking with tears, and silently fought back his own. He couldn't go back. This was the best thing for her. It would make her safe again. _This…_ It was the only way he could protect her, even though it killed him inside to break her heart and his own. He was a hero and it was too dangerous for her to love him when he had so many enemies. How did Superman and Spider-Man make it look so easy? In reality, it was so hard. He heard Julie scream his name again and winced at the pain in his heart.

**~End Part II~**

Questions, comments, concerns?

_**REVIEW!**_


	3. Part III: Ben's Pain

Holy dialogue, Batman!

**~Monday, November 13: Late~**

Sobbing and crying, Julie locked herself in the bathroom and drew herself a hot bath. It wasn't until she glanced in the mirror at her ugly red-rimmed eyes that she realized she still had Ben's jacket wrapped tightly around her shoulders. She wanted to throw it down—he had left her for another girl after all—but she just couldn't. She hugged it close, inhaling the scent of his body and imagining that the warmth she felt was left over from his body heat.

Another sob escaped her, but she fought back her tears.

Julie stripped out of her damp clothes, laid Ben's green jacket down on the vanity, and sank deep into the warmth of the tub. For a moment, she just enjoyed the hot water and tried to relax, but she couldn't. Her mind kept returning to what Ben had said about that other girl he was in love with. She couldn't help feeling that he was lying to her, but why would he? What possible reason could he have for lying to break up with her? It just didn't make sense.

She sank deeper and blew some bubbles on the surface of the water.

Maybe Gwen could shine some light on the situation. Yeah, that was a good idea. Tomorrow, she would call Gwen and ask her what was wrong with Ben. Maybe he needed to lay eggs again or something equally alien. Either there was an explanation, or Julie would just have to accept that her relationship with Ben Tennyson was over for good. A single tear dripped down her face. She could only hope that wasn't the case. If she was lucky, it was only a simple problem between them with a simple solution.

…

"When I get my hands on Ben, I'm going to kick his ass," Kevin growled as he drove himself and his girlfriend home. Kevin hadn't gotten over anything—neither being locked up in a bubble of mana nor of Ben taking a swing at him. Sometimes, he was the epitome of immature.

Gwen sighed. "Kevin, I'm worried about Ben."

"Why? Because I'm going to deck him?"

She elbowed him hard in the arm. "I mean it, Kevin, knock it off. This juvenile attitude is really unbecoming."

"Huh?"

She glowered at him. "Aren't you worried?"

"About Ben? No," he said. "Why would I be?"

"Are you really that dense?" she asked.

Kevin just stared at her.

"It's about him and Julie," Gwen said. "We were talking and Ben's just really down. I've never seen him like this."

"They've had a lot of problems. I'm sure they'll work it out."

"I don't know, Kevin."

The car slid to a stop outside her house, headlights lighting up Gwen's favorite tree in the front yard. She fought back a yawn of exhaustion, kissed her boyfriend delicately on the lips, grinned when Kevin tried to deepen it and was denied, and got out of the car. Waving to Kevin, she enjoyed the way he waited at the curb until he was sure she was safely inside the house even though she could more than take care of herself. Then, she watched him pull away from the window.

"Gwenie?" her mother, Natalie, called. She was seated on the couch, watching television absently. "How was your day?"

"Typical," Gwen said with a roll of her shoulders. "I'm going to shower and go to bed. I'm beat."

"Alright honey. Ben was here to see you."

"Did he say what he wanted?"

Natalie shook her head. "No, but he looked pretty upset. I asked him if he wanted to stay to wait for you, but he said no, turned into one of those hideous aliens," she shuddered dramatically and Gwen rolled her eyes, "and flew away."

Gwen bit her lip. "I'll give him a call right now. Thanks Mom." She hurried up to her room, pressing the second speed dial on her cell phone, and cradling it to her ear. When Ben picked up, she could immediately tell that he had been crying. His voice was ragged and broken. "Ben, what's wrong?"

"I broke up with Julie," he confessed.

"What? Why?" Gwen's knuckles whitened on the phone.

Ben hesitated. "Doctor Animo kidnapped her tonight."

"Oh my god. Is she alright?"

"He punched her in the face," he muttered. "She has a black eye."

"But she's okay other than that?"

"Yeah," he said softly.

"So, why did you break up with her, Ben?"

"It's too dangerous for her to be with me, Gwen. Animo went after her to get to me."

Gwen repeated, "But she's alright."

"But what if it isn't Animo next time? We all know what a joke he is so she wasn't in much danger, but he still hurt her. What if Vilgax were to take her? She wouldn't…" he choked.

"Oh, Ben," Gwen whispered. She knew exactly where he was coming from.

He sniffled and she heard him blow his nose.

"You're really hurting, aren't you?"

"I really cared about her, Gwen."

"It's not too late, Ben," she whispered.

"Yes it is."

Her heart leaped. "What did you do?"

"I told her that I was in love with another girl."

"Oh Ben…"

"If I had told her the truth, I know she would have talked me out of it."

"Doesn't that mean something, Ben?" she murmured.

"Yeah. I'm weak," he said bitterly. "I can't even protect Julie."

"Ben—"

"No, Gwen. I know I did the right thing." His voice broke. "I've got to go." And he hung up abruptly.

Gwen gazed at the phone, flashing 'Call Ended' at her. "Oh Ben… I don't think you did," she whispered. "You should listen to your heart, Ben. It's better than even your gut."

**~Next Day, Tuesday, November 14: Afternoon~**

Will Harangue (1) was on television, berating Ben and proclaiming him a 'Menace To Beat All Others' as usual. At Ben's deserted house, Kevin and Gwen were sitting on the couch, watching to see what nonsense the news anchor would be coming up with today. Across Bellwood, Julie was watching also, hoping to find out who the girl Ben was in love with was. Ben was hiding out with Jimmy, watching as well. None of them knew just what Harangue was planning for tonight's broadcast—it was going to be the worst one yet.

"Scandal!" Harangue shouted, banging his fist. He really was a despicable person. "Could Ben Tennyson be having an incestuous relationship with his cousin, Gwendolyn?" And the screen became filled with the image of Gwen tightly embracing Ben yesterday after he had taken a swing at Kevin.

Gwen's eyes shot wide open, her knuckles whitening around her cup. "What?" she shouted.

"Hey, where was I?" Kevin asked, surveying the picture.

"You were in a bubble," Gwen said absently and then shouted, "I can't believe he'd air this! What is wrong with that man!"

"He's looking to take Ben down," Kevin said plainly, popping some kettle corn into his mouth.

Gwen let out a wordless sound of rage.

"Don't worry. We'll just tell Jimmy about his latest lie and the kid will post a rebuttal all over the internet."

"That's not the point!" Gwen shouted. "How dare he! Ben is my cousin!"

Kevin shrugged.

Harangue continued shouting, his body back-dropped by the picture of Ben and Gwen. "Do we just allow this troubled and dangerous youth loose on the streets? Or should action be taken against the menace that is Ben Tennyson? But we leave this decision up to you, the viewing public!"

…

Across Bellwood, the remote fell out of Julie's hands, but then she shook herself.

"That's ridiculous," she told the TV set. "There's no way that's possible."

And she was convinced of that so she turned off the television and poured herself a glass of orange juice, sipping it absently as she meandered the house. So, as usual and once again, Will Harangue's news about Ben was completely fake. But how could Julie figure out what was up with Ben? It wasn't as if she could call him. She had tried, but he wasn't answering his mobile. But, she could always call Gwen.

…

Gwen's mobile began to vibrate and ring loudly on the coffee table. When the Caller ID told Gwen that it was Julie calling, she wasn't sure if she should answer. Ben wanted to cut all ties with Julie to keep her safe, but Gwen and Julie were friends. "What do you think?" she asked Kevin.

He shrugged. "I'm going to get a soda. Do you want one?"

Gwen sighed exasperatedly at Kevin's back and answered her phone. "Hi Julie. If you were watching the Harangue Nation, it's all lies, I assure you."

Julie laughed a little. "I know that. Can I talk to you about Ben?"

"I don't know, Julie."

"Please?"

"Alright, but I might not be able to tell you anything," Gwen relented. "But if you just need a friendly ear, I'm here for you."

"Both actually. Did Ben tell you that he… broke up with me for another girl?"

"He did."

"Do you know who it is?"

"No, I don't."

"But you know everything about Ben," Julie whispered.

"I don't know everything, Julie," she said softly, but that as a lie. She and Ben had absolutely no secrets from each other.

Julie sniffled. "Why do you think he did this to me?"

Gwen wanted so badly to tell Julie the truth, but she couldn't meddle in Ben's life, no matter how badly she wanted to. "I don't know, Julie. Maybe he was telling the truth."

"He wasn't," Julie insisted. "His eye was twitching—"

_Ben, you are _way_ to honest for your own good,_ Gwen thought.

"—and I just know he's hiding something. I'm worried about him."

"I'll talk to him, Julie," Gwen promised.

"And he won't answer his phone when I call," Julie continued as if Gwen hadn't spoken, her voice cracking and breaking with tears. "I know he cares about me because yesterday we were making out on his bed and I thought we were going to go all the way—" she abruptly cut herself off and Gwen could feel the radiation of Julie's blush even through the phone.

Gwen smiled sadly. Ben really did love Julie. "I'm sure he has a reason, Julie," was all she said, thinking, _You don't know the half of it._

"Could you just… tell him to call me? Please?" Julie begged Gwen.

"I'll do what I can, Julie," she said gently.

"Thanks," she whispered and hung up quietly.

Gwen sighed and stared at her phone for a long moment.

Kevin came back into the room bearing two cold sodas. "How'd that go?" he asked her, slinging his arm around her shoulders and hugging her lightly against his side.

She leaned her head on his shoulder. "We've got to do something, Kevin."

"Like what?" he asked.

"I don't know," she murmured and closed her eyes. "I really don't know."

…

Ben caught up with Gwen later that night. He was pale and had deep dark circles under his green eyes. It looked like he hadn't slept a wink the night before and Gwen could understand why. He had ripped his heart out to protect Julie.

"Hey Gwen," he said as he entered her bedroom. "What's up?"

"I'm glad you're here, Ben," she murmured. One thing at a time, ease into it, she reminded herself. If she brought Julie up right away, Ben would bolt. "We need to talk about what we're going to tell Jimmy to put on the internet to stop this ridiculous incest story."

He sat down heavily on her bed. Without his jacket on, he looked frail and thin and his black t-shirt only made him look pale and sick. "Actually, Gwen, I wanted to talk to you about that," he began. "I… I don't want to change that."

"What?" she breathed. "Please, don't tell me that it's true."

Ben glared at her. "No, Gwen. It's just… this way the spotlight will be off Julie. I know you can take care of yourself."

"But Ben, do you have any idea what this will do to your reputation?"

He closed his eyes. "I don't care about that."

Gwen's heart skipped a beat. Ben didn't care about his reputation? God, he really did love Julie. "But Ben," she whispered.

"Is it okay with you, Gwen? If it's not, I'll just have Jimmy make up a mystery girl for me to be in love with."

"I think you should do that, Ben. I don't think this is a good idea."

He nodded. "I will." Then, he stood up and prepared to leave.

Gwen caught his wrist. "Wait, Ben. We need to talk about Julie."

He trembled. "I can't," he whispered.

"But, Ben, she's really hurt. You have to at least talk to her."

"I can't, Gwen," he whispered. "If I do, I'll…"

She embraced him. "Ben, you're both hurting so badly. There has to be another way to do this."

He pulled away from her. "There isn't. All I care about is keeping Julie safe."

"But Ben—"

"No, Gwen!" he shouted, his grass-green eyes welling with tears. "You don't understand how much I love her, but when Animo took her, I was so afraid! I was terrified that I'd lose her! I never want to feel that way again!" His voice softened sadly. "I'm not a real hero, Gwen. I'm just a kid with a special super-powered watch. I'm not cut out for this…"

"But Ben," she whispered.

He shook his head. "I can't do it, Gwen. I've… I've got to go." Then, he turned and practically fled the room.

Gwendolyn Tennyson prided herself on her brains and know-how. She was confident that there was no problem she couldn't work out, no issue she couldn't fix, no task she couldn't accomplish. But, for the first time in her life, Gwen knew what was best for her cousin and all involved, but she had no idea how to go about fixing anything. She didn't know how to help. She didn't know how to heal Ben and Julie's relationship or fix Ben's fears or find a way to give them more time together or even stop the slew of bad guys invading Earth. For the first time in her life, she had absolutely no idea what to do.

**~End Part III~**

(1) A fun fact, harangue is a word and actually means: a long, passionate, and vehement speech, especially one delivered before a public gathering. It fits him well, no?

Questions, comments, concerns?


	4. Part IV: Ben's Friends

_PEOPLE WHO __**FAVORITE**__ BUT __**DON'T REVIEW**__ SHOULD BE __**ASHAMED**__!_ If I don't hear from you, I'm going to go after you… I see ALL!

**~Tuesday, November 14: Night~**

Ben had never considered himself to be a Peeping Tom or a pervert yet here he was, transformed into Big Chill, invisible and lurking outside Julie's bedroom window. He cared so much about her and he wanted to make sure she was doing okay, even though he was sure she was doing about the same as he was—lousy. Gwen had told him as much, but he had been hoping that Julie had a heart like a boiled stone or something, but she didn't. She deeply cared for Ben and she as doing just as bad as he was.

Julie was lying on her bed, clutching his green jacket to her chest and crying. Ship was sitting beside her on her pillow, but even her pet's comfort didn't seem to be helping. She was sobbing so hard that it looked as if her body was going to break apart. The bruise on her face from where Animo had punched her was still dark and ugly.

Ben's heart broke. "Julie," he whispered.

He knew she couldn't hear him and she just continued crying.

There had to be a better way than this. They were both in so much pain—there just had to be a better way. If not, then he would regret ever even speaking with her because no one would ever be able to replace Julie in his heart and he didn't think there was anyone quite like him on this plain of reality to replace him either.

**~Wednesday, November 15: Morning~**

For once, straight-A student Julie Yamamoto was playing hooky and skipping school. She just didn't feel like dealing with the problems she knew were going to mount up today. Since Will Harangue's scathing new take on Ben and Gwen's relationship and everyone knowing that Ben and Julie had been dating up until recently, it just wasn't going to be pretty. She figured it would be best to stay home and just wait for this to blow over. Ben, Gwen, Kevin, and Jimmy Jones would surely take care of Harangue and everyone would forget about Julie by the time Harangue had his next broadcast aired.

She rolled over in her bed, pressing her face into her pillow and pulling the covers up over her head.

She wanted to roll over and go back to sleep, but if she slept any more, she would never sleep again in her life. That… and she was tired of dreaming of Ben. She didn't want to see his handsome face in her dreams, his soft green eyes, his goofy smile, or even hear his voice. She didn't want to feel his lips against hers, his fingertips on her collarbones, his soft chocolate tresses, or even his silken skin beneath her hands. She just wanted to sleep and forget, but she couldn't sleep any more.

Sighing, Julie swung herself out of bed and paced to the full-length mirror she kept on the back of her closet door.

For a moment, she stared at her body—wondering what a superhero like Ben Ten had ever seen in her anyway. She was thin, but muscled from playing tennis. She had small breasts and narrow hips, long coltish legs and lean long fingers, strong shoulders and arms from her sports, and an average Japanese-American figure with the pale skin, dark hair, and slanted brown eyes of her foreign bloodline and the peaches and cream complexion dusted with faint freckles of an American. She was just an average girl, nothing special.

She sighed heavily and pulled off her pajama top, standing before the mirror in her tank top and shorty shorts. Nothing seemed to change by being scantily clad. She was still Julie, still single, still alone, and still had an ugly bruise on her face.

"Dating a superhero… Lois Lane and Mary Jane Watson make it look so easy. Sure, they occasionally get used as bait for a deadly trap for their dearly beloveds, but then they're rescued, share a sweet and passionate kiss with their heroes, and that's that. They made it look so freaking easy!" Julie snapped at her reflection in the mirror, fingering the fresh bruise that had started all this. She winced—man, did it ever stop hurting? How did Ben manage to make injuries like this look like nothing? She sighed again, biting her lower lip.

Her alien pet, Ship, quietly asked her what was wrong in their personal private language. "Ship ship?"

"The reality is…" she sighed, her brown eyes welling with tears, "It isn't easy at all…"

Again, he inquired what was bothering her. "Ship?"

She sighed heavily to herself, sat down on the bed, and petted the little alien that had interrupted her very first date with Ben. "Wait… maybe I should start from the beginning…"

And so she did.

She told Ship everything that had happened between her and Ben, even the embarrassing things that she was loathe to tell anyone else like their make-out session on his bed. She told her pet about being kidnapped by Animo and how afraid she had been, but how she had never doubted that Ben would somehow save her, even when the jaws of the mutated shark were coming for her. Then, she recounted the hideous break-up, how Ben told her that he was in love with someone else (but she assured Ship that Will Harangue was full of it and there was no way he was in love with his cousin, Gwen). When she finished, she felt a lot better for it.

"Ship?" the alien inquired.

Julie petted him. "Yeah," she murmured. "Thanks, Ship. I feel a lot better now. I think I know what to do."

She told the alien her plan and Ship balked, shrieking at her in his private language.

"Yeah, I know it's stupid, but it's the only way to get Ben to talk to me. And I need to talk to him. I need the closure."

Ship eyed her, not looking convinced.

"How about you turn into a backpack and I bring you with me? Will that make you feel better?"

In answer, he immediately morphed into the most convenient way to be carried and waited patiently on her bed.

"Alright then," Julie said with a small worried smile. She gathered up some clean clothes, ducked into the bathroom to shower, and emerged a while later in a waft of steam. She was as ready as she would ever be, but there was no backing out now. She had to see Ben, but she really didn't want to bring Ship with her. That would be like waving a red flag and admitting that she didn't think Ben would cut it and that was the last thing she wanted. So, alone, Julie left her house in search of Ben.

…

It wasn't as if he was ever hard to find.

All Julie had to do was walk by one of those bizarre stores with their windows full of television sets to get an eyeful of her ex-boyfriend and his team plastered all over the news. It seemed that Ben, Kevin, and Gwen were all at the railway, having another go at the Forever Knights. Those guys just wouldn't call it quits even though they always got their asses handed to them on a silver platter. Jeez, but she supposed that was why they were villains and not heroes or even business men. They weren't smart enough.

Julie started her motorized scooter and headed off, sans Ship.

When she arrived at the railway, the battle was in full force. There were Forever Knights crawling all over, media ringing the outer edge of the battle and shouting a lot, and all the incoming trains were just continuing as if this happened every day, which is kind of did.

Ben was known all over Bellwood as their alien hero so it wasn't much of a shock to see him out fighting now as it had been when there were just seemingly random alien crime-fighters all over the place. It was a wonder no one had just noticed Gwen and Kevin and figured out his secret identity from there. (1)

Julie took off her helmet, put the keys to her Moped in her pocket, pushed her way through the media circus, and began making her way down into the railway and the battle. She wasn't afraid. The Forever Knights had no interest in hurting humans, only going after aliens which was one of the reasons she had left Ship at home.

Suddenly, from behind, someone wearing noisy armor grabbed her.

"Wait!" she started, but a wad of cloth was shoved in her mouth as her wrists were quickly bound behind her back with handcuffs.

"You'll be the perfect bait to make Ben Ten lay off," a man hissed in her ear.

Her eyes narrowed. No one would use her to hurt Ben if she had anything to say about it!

Before she could react, Julie was shoved forward, unable to get her balance, while someone yanked her about from behind. She realized that she had made a big mistake. After Animo had taken her and now she was showing up at Ben's battles, someone must have thought Ben still cared for her. Or maybe they just knew Ben would bend over backwards for any hostage. She tried to shout through the gag, but it was hopeless. She had practically swallowed the thing. Suddenly, Forever Knights or no, she wished she had brought Ship with her.

Something hard and no doubt deadly was pressed into her lower back, urging her forward, but Julie never had been and never would be just an innocent bystander captured in a unfortunate situation. She bided her time a moment, picked her course of action, pretended to stumble, and got her foot into her assailant's crotch in a fantastic mule kick. Armor or not, she had just rearranged this man's privates, putting them somewhere inside his ribcage.

With a howl of pain, the Forever Knight shoved her away before she could kick him again. She caught her foot in the railroad track and fell, caught in the tracks and unable to get to her feet since her arms were tied and unable to cry out for help since she had been gagged. When she finally rolled over onto her back , she saw the oncoming train. Her eyes met those of the conductor and panic passed between them. She suddenly wished she had let the Forever Knight just hold her as a hostage.

Then, at least, she would have lived.

…

Ben and Kevin were up to their eyeballs in Forever Knights. On a pink platform above their heads, Gwen was taking them out one after the other with her mana. It was an easy fight for them, but the Forever Knights were putting up quite a struggle since they had come out in such force to fight Ben Ten and his team. They had some precious cargo coming in on a train, some new technology to help them hunt aliens and maybe be a little more of a threat villain-wise, according to Kevin's source at least, but Kevin's contact was right as often as it was wrong.

Gwen was the first to see Julie arrive.

The second was the train conductor.

One of the Forever Knights must have grabbed Julie as a hostage as soon as she had arrived or maybe they already had her. Either way, something in this hostage situation had gone very wrong because now Julie was in the path of an oncoming train that had no hope of stopping in time before it killed her.

"Ben!" Gwen screamed.

Her cousin met her eyes through the space between them and immediately spotted Julie. For a moment, it looked as if Ben's alien transformation—his favorite, Swampfire—was going to be sick. Then, he sprang into instant action, plowing down Forever Knights left and right in his haste to get to Julie. He managed to grab her from the path of the train only moments before it screamed over the tracks where her body had been and finally stopped its path completely after about half a mile.

"Ben!" Julie gasped as soon as he pulled the rag from her mouth.

"Are you nuts?" he snapped.

"No, I—"

"Gwen! Here!"

Then, Swampfire coldly and abruptly gave Julie a toss into the air and her stomach dropped out for a moment before one of Gwen's platforms came to support her. Ben rushed back to Kevin's side (to be fair, Kevin _was_ centimeters from being overrun by the Forever Knights) and resumed the fight. Even though Julie understood that all she was doing was getting in the way and had almost just lost her life, it still hurt to just be tossed aside like that, literally.

"That idiot," Julie heard Gwen mutter. "Julie, are you okay?"

"Peachy keen," she said softly.

Gwen broke the handcuffs with her powers and turned back to helping her cousin and boyfriend, but now that the train that had been about to kill Julie had slammed to a stop, things were breaking down fast. The Forever Knights were scattering like roaches, unable to even salvage the operation by retrieving their weapons.

"Wait you!" Ben shouted.

He transformed into Big Chill and started to take flight after them. The Omnitrix let him get about ten feet in the air before abruptly powering down and dropping him like a hot rock. Ben hit the ground with a yelp of pain and sent up a cloud of dust. Kevin plucked him to his feet by the back of his shirt and Gwen touched down with Julie just beside them.

"You okay, Jules?" Kevin asked, smiling easily at her.

She nodded, tucking some dark hair behind her ear.

Gwen absently brushed some dust off of Ben's back. That was quite a dump the Omnitrix had given him—ouch.

"Are you okay, Ben?" Julie asked, touching his arm.

He pulled away from her. "Just fine. What are you doing here? Are you insane? You were almost killed!"

Julie wasn't sure what exactly she had expected from Ben after her brush with death, but this certainly hadn't been it. Even if he really did love another, she had still expected him to hug her and at least be glad that she was alright, but he was acting almost more like he would have rather she had been flattened by that oncoming train. Even Kevin had been concerned for her well-being and had cared enough to ask, but not Ben… She took several steps back, stumbling into Kevin's strong chest. Her brown eyes welled with tears.

"Ben!" Gwen said harshly.

Ben met his cousin's unhappy eyes with his own strong frown, turned sharply away from his friends, and had several goes at slapping the powered-down Omnitrix before he finally managed to change into Jetray and was gone.

The media began pouring in.

"Um, guys, I think we'd better make like a banana and split," Kevin said as an attempt at humor. When no one started laughing, he closed his large hands down on Julie's thin shoulders since it looked as if she was going to break apart at any moment. "Gwen, let's go."

She nodded, enclosed the three of them in a bubble of pink mana, and spirited them away from the media.

…

Ben made it home before the Ultimatrix powered itself off again, but only just. It practically dropped him on his face in his lawn. Sometimes, he swore, as he dusted himself off, that Azmuth had installed that timer just to keep him humble or to punish him when he seemed to deserve it. He quickly let himself into the house and checked his mobile phone for messages. Gwen had already called, berating him for how he had acted towards Julie before Kevin had taken the phone and told him to check out the news. That was never good.

Will Harangue had plastered the images of Ben tossing Julie upwards to Gwen and then shouting at her all over the screen.

Groaning, Ben sat down on the couch and put his head between his knees. What a rotten week this was turning out to be. Just last night he had been trying to figure out another way that he could be with Julie but still keep her safe and then she shows up at the battle with the Forever Knights and is nearly killed. Ben had been so stricken by seeing her life in danger because of him once again that he just hadn't been able to think straight. All he wanted was for her to be safe, but even by breaking up with her, he still couldn't protect her.

What was wrong with him? How could he make any of this better? Or was it broken for good?

…

Gwen had Kevin drop her and Julie off at Burger Shack for chili fries and a little girl talk. She knew they were Ben's favorite and seeing them would probably make Julie cry, but she knew Julie liked them too. Along with Sumo Slammers and a lot of the other weird stuff that Ben liked. They were a match made in Heaven. Sure enough, when the order of chili fries was slipped between them, Julie's eyes filled with tears and she pressed her hands to her face.

Gwen passed her a napkin. "Julie, I know you're upset about Ben, but what were you thinking coming to the battle like that?"

She sniffled, but explained her reasoning to Gwen. "I didn't think the Forever Knights were interested in hurting humans so I thought I'd be safe."

Gwen nodded. That made sense in a way, but the Forever Knights were also obsessed with taking down Ben. It could have gone either way so there was no reason to fault Julie. "But why come to the battle?"

"I had hoped that…" Julie shook her head. "I don't know. I thought that maybe since the media was there, Ben would talk to me to keep up his appearances, but I was wrong." She sobbed. "I was so wrong…"

Gwen squeezed the girl's shoulder. "Julie, I'm sorry."

"I love him, Gwen. I really do!" Julie sobbed into the napkin. "I don't know what to do."

"Julie," Gwen whispered, her heart aching for her friend and cousin. God, what could she do? These two were tearing each other apart. She chewed her lip while she thought, excused herself to put in a quick call to Kevin, returned tot the table, and told Julie the truth.

…

Across town, Kevin banged loudly on Ben's front door, but the teenage hero didn't answer. Kevin, never one to be deterred by obstacles as simple as locked doors or alternate dimensions, picked the lock with his morphed finger and let himself in. The house was dark and silent, deserted. The television was turned off, there were no dirty dishes in the sink, and there were no Mr. Smoothy cups or empty chili fry containers lying around. There was no sign of Ben.

"Tennyson?" Kevin called, then quietly, "Ben?"

He went upstairs, searching methodically through the dim rooms and even checking behind the shower curtain in case Ben was hiding out. Finally, he found Ben curled up tightly on his bed in his dark bedroom, wrapped in a snarl of covers. He looked like shit when Kevin turned the light on and illuminated the room. Since Gwen was taking care of Julie, gently and nicely, Kevin figured he was in charge of just shaking or slapping Ben until he came back to his senses.

Either way, he flipped up the mattress and sent Ben spilling across the floor. "Get up, Tennyson!"

Ben didn't even bitch at him. Wow, he must have been really down. Kevin righted the mattress and sat down on it. He grasped Ben's upper arm and dragged him up onto the bed.

"Come on. We need to talk," Kevin said grouchily.

Ben just stared at the floor, his face pale.

"You know you're a jerk, right?"

His head snapped in Kevin's direction. "What?"

Kevin rolled his black eyes. "You're a jerk."

"All I want is so protect Julie!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know that and Gwen knows that but you know what? The girls in our lives don't like to be protected."

"But—"

"And they're capable of doing it themselves. They worry about us and we worry about them. That's the way it works."

Ben sighed. "I know, but I'm afraid I'm going to lose her."

"You did lose her, asshole," Kevin said flatly.

He glared at his so-called friend.

"You lost her. You dumped her. You broke her heart. For all intents and purposes, you lost her."

Ben's green eyes widened. Clearly, he hadn't thought of that.

"So, here's how it's going to work. I'm going to go pick up Gwen and Julie and I'm going to drop Julie off here. You two are going to talk things out. If you can't work it out, I'm going to knock your heads together, okay?" Kevin didn't wait for an answer before getting up and leaving the room.

Ben just sat there, blinking in the literal and metaphorical light.

**~End Part IV~**

(1) I've always wondered that. Jimmy figured out Ben's identity because he saw the Omnitrix symbol on the aliens and then the watch on Ben's wrist. You'd think everyone would just notice GWEN and KEVIN are constantly around. You know, it's not like they cover their faces or anything. Like, hello, people?

_PEOPLE WHO __**FAVORITE**__ BUT __**DON'T REVIEW**__ SHOULD BE __**ASHAMED**__!_

Questions, comments, concerns?


	5. Part V: Ben's Heart

Final installment. I hope you all enjoyed!

**~Wednesday, November 15: Evening~**

Julie cast one final nervous glance at Gwen in the backseat of Kevin's amazing car just before getting out, her hand still resting on the knob. She was nervous—more nervous that she had been when she first accepted a date with Ben. This time, there was so much more riding on their meeting. This could be the end of their relationship, completely and totally.

"It'll be fine," Gwen assured her with a smile. "Really, it will."

Kevin nodded, his mean roguish face transforming. "If he does anything else stupid, I'll punch him in the face for you."

"Kevin!" Gwen protested, punching him in the arm.

"What? I will!"

Julie laughed uneasily, looking up at Ben's house and biting her lower lip. All the lights were on and she could see Ben's silhouette hiding in the curtains of the living room, waiting to see what she would do. Would she get out and come to see him or would Kevin and his car pull away with her still inside? She wondered if he was as nervous as she was.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to," Gwen murmured.

Kevin's eyes flashed in the dark. "Ben's a moron. You could do better than him."

"Kevin," Gwen warned.

"What? He is and she could. You know that and I know that and she knows that. Ben had screwed up more than once."

"I know he has," Julie whispered. "But… this is hard for us. It's not exactly a normal relationship."

Gwen rubbed Julie's shoulder. "You do what you think is right."

"But Ben is a moron and nothing will change so you'd better know what you're getting in to."

"Kevin!" Gwen snapped and yanked his ear.

"What? Ouch!"

As she opened the door, Julie smiled, her confidence boosted. "I have to do this," she said more to herself than to her friends. Then, she hesitated outside, one foot on the ground, and turned back to Gwen. "If… if something goes wrong, can I call you? Will you come and get me?"

"Of course," Gwen said and squeezed Julie's hand.

"Thanks," Julie whispered and got out.

Then, Gwen snapped at Kevin the moment the door was closed. "Why did you say those things about Ben? That Julie could do better? We're trying to get them back together and that clearly wasn't helping our argument!"

"Relax, Gwen," Kevin said, his hands resting absently on the steering wheel. "I had a plan."

"Oh, really? You had a plan?" she asked, disbelieving.

"I did," he assured her. "If I said something nasty like that, I figured Julie would defend him."

"But she didn't."

He grinned. "I'm sure she did _inside_."

Gwen smiled. "Very clever, Kevin."

"I did the same thing with Ben earlier, you know, when he took a swing at me and you put me in a bubble." He rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. "He defended their relationship. He had to realize what a great girl Julie is and how lucky he is to have her."

"Like you and me?"

He grinned, debonair. "Sure."

Gwen rolled her eyes.

Outside the car and oblivious to the conversation going on inside it, Julie glanced at the door again, took a deep breath, and started up the walk to Ben's front door. She hesitated again, glancing back at Kevin and Gwen and getting a thumbs-up of encouragement, before dredging up the courage to knock on the door. She knew Ben was waiting just inside and there was no moment to delay and gather her thoughts before he had opened the door.

Julie turned back towards Kevin and Gwen, her heart in her throat like a stone and she almost cried out to them desperately, but Kevin took off. His tires squealed. Neither of them wanted to give her a chance to back out before she talked to Ben. Just like that, it was only her and him—alone—together.

She turned back to him, her eyes wide.

"Hi," he breathed nervously.

"Hello," she whispered.

"Come in?" he asked.

She did, but didn't know what to do then. She just stood there, staring at him, unable to speak and hardly able to breathe.

Ben could only stare at her, taking in the hunch of her shoulders and the worry lining her pretty face. The bruise was still there, dark and ugly, reminding him of his failure to protect her from Animo. But more than that, she looked… afraid… of him? Ben winced inside. He supposed he deserved that. He had shouted at her after she had nearly been killed and then thrown her up to Gwen rather than keeping her at his side. He hadn't even hugged her. He hadn't even spoken her name. He hadn't even said that he was glad she was okay or asked if she was alright.

He was a jerk and he had screwed up big time.

"Ben, I," she began, but was cut off but Ben crushing her to him in a desperate embrace. She gasped his name, her voice muffled against his chest.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair.

She could feel the ache in his chest as he spoke, the sorrow and pain and suffering.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, hugging her closer.

Tears welled in her eyes and she wrapped her arms around him in return, hugging him close. She pressed her face into him, breathing in the scent of his skin and just allowing his warmth to surround her. She hadn't been warm since Animo had taken her from Ben and then Ben had dumped her. Since then, she had just felt cold.

Julie's legs buckled out from beneath her and she started to slide to her knees. Ben went with her until they were both on the floor, still locked tightly round each other. She had crawled practically into his lap and he was holding her as tightly as if he wanted to absorb her into his body.

Her fingers dug into his shirt, clutching desperately. She didn't want this moment to end. It was too much like a dream and she would wake up back at home in her own empty bed, clutching only Ben's abandoned jacket. But she felt Ben tremble and shake in her arms and knew this couldn't be a dream.

"Ben," she whispered and pushed him back a little.

"Please," he begged her, tightening his arms.

"Let me go, Ben."

As if she had punched him, he did. His green eyes were full of pain and regret. "Julie, please," he whispered.

"Ben," she murmured. "Why did you do this to me? To us?"

He closed his eyes, a single tear leaking down his cheek.

Julie touched his face. "I know that you still have feelings for me. I know you lied about being in love with someone else. So why…? Why would you do this to us?"

He reached for her, but she denied him, even though she wanted nothing more than to dissolve into his arms.

"Please, I need you to tell me why," she whispered.

Ben swallowed and then whispered, "It was to protect you."

Her coffee-colored eyes widened.

He continued. "When Animo took you, I thought my heart was going to break. I was so afraid for you. I just… I could never lose you."

"But why do this…?" she breathed.

"As long as you're with me, you'll be in danger. You were almost killed today."

Julie bit her lip. "That was just a freak accident. I didn't think the Forever Knights would hurt me."

"It's worse than you could know, Julie. To them, Gwen, Kevin, and I are all aliens to be destroyed and you're a human who's with me—with an alien. They would kill you just to stop us from ever being together. You don't even know the danger you're in just because you're with me."

"But I can protect myself."

Ben shook his head. "It doesn't matter. My enemies will always be coming after you to try to get to me and they don't know how close they are to my…" he broke off.

"What?" she whispered.

He met her eyes, so deep and dark, red-rimmed and full of pain. "They don't know how close they are to breaking my heart, my soul, my everything," he whispered. "If something were to happen to you, Julie, I could never forgive myself."

Her heart pounded. "But," she breathed.

He reached out for her, almost desperately, but she still denied him. "Please," he whispered.

She shook her head. "How could you make a decision like that? By yourself? Without talking to me?"

He lowered his arms. "So long as you're alive… that's all that matters to me."

Suddenly and sharply, she slapped him across the face.

Stunned, he touched his heated face and just stared at her. Another tear rolled down his face, but he couldn't find his voice.

Julie's eyes welled with tears and she clutched her hand to her chest.

Finally, he whispered brokenly, "Why?"

"Ben Tennyson, you are so stupid."

He lowered his eyes. "I know. Kevin told me."

She hesitated and then confessed quietly, "I want to be with you. No matter what."

He looked stunned, his narrow shoulders jolting. He shook his head. "You could get hurt. You could be killed."

"Do you think I care?" she snapped at him, grabbing a fistful of his black shirt. Her voice rose and broke with tears just beneath the surface. "When we were apart like this, when I didn't think you cared about me, I might as well have been dead."

"I'm sorry…" he breathed.

Julie threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. For a moment, he didn't seem to know what to do, but then he melted into her. She felt his body trembling as if it was going to break apart at the seams. He was really hurting, hurting so badly, but he had done all this just to protect her, even if it meant destroying himself… all for her…

"I'm not a hero, Julie," he said suddenly.

Her heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"

"I can't even protect you." His arms squeezed her desperately. "How could I ever protect the entire universe?"

She hugged him tighter, pressing her face into his chest, listening to the ragged beat of his heart.

"I just… I want this more than anything," Ben whispered into her hair. "But I know if you're with me, your life will be in danger."

Tears rolled down her cheeks. "I have to be with you," she whispered. "I… I love you, Ben."

He pushed her back, looking sharply into her face. "What?"

"I… I love you," she sobbed again, tears rolling down her cheeks.

For a moment, Ben couldn't breathe. Then, he tenderly cupped her face, met her eyes, and kissed her gently. She melted into him, threading her fingers through his thick hair and pulling him closer. His arms went around her, crushing her to his body. His mouth was desperate, drinking in every ounce of her, but Julie was even more passionate. She devoured his mouth, her hands roaming his chest beneath his shirt and feeling his racing heartbeat as they kissed.

Ben's hands found her stomach and gently dipped beneath the fabric of her sweater, touching her bare skin for the first time. She shivered in bliss, wishing he would touch more of her, but he seemed nervous to make that kind of move. She pressed him down into the floor, her body on top of his, every inch of them pressed together. She could feel just how much he wanted to be with her. Boldly, she cupped him through his jeans, but he pulled her hands away and threaded their fingers together.

She pulled away from their kiss and looked into his face. She knew he wanted this so why was he denying her again? Did he not want her? She whispered, "Ben?"

"No," he murmured, his cheeks glowing pink. "When… when we're ready, I want it to be special."

Her heart swelled. "Ben," she whispered.

He smiled, still blushing. "That's what you want, right?" He really was one of a kind, different from all the other boys.

She nodded, a single happy tear rolling down her cheek, and kissed him again, harder, deeper, longer, unwilling to ever let him go. Ben had the same idea, wrapping his arms around her again and pressing her as close as he possibly could without them sharing the same body. She delved into his mouth, her hands beneath his shirt, his arms around her body like a castle, her hair tickling his face, and his sweet manner overwhelming. Finally, the desperate kiss ended and they lay on the floor together, bodies intertwined, arms around each other, sharing breath.

"Can we go upstairs?" she whispered.

"Julie?"

"I just… I want to be with you and the floor is cold."

He smiled, gathered her up, and pulled her to her feet. He held her close, unwilling to let her go for even a second as they climbed the stairs. He didn't turn on the light in his bedroom, only toed off his sneakers as she unzipped her hoodie. Then, together, they lay in his bed, facing each other with his arms around her tightly and her hands pressed to his chest beneath his shirt.

"Ben," she whispered. "Do you love me?"

He hesitated, but answered finally, "Yes. More than anything."

"Please, don't do this to us again."

"I couldn't. I can't be apart from you," he whispered.

Julie smiled, her fingers stroking his chest. "Good. Even if you're not a hero."

He inhaled sharply. "You don't think I'm a hero?"

She shook her head.

Ben shuddered. "Then what…?"

"You're more than that," she whispered. "You're everything."

He kissed the top of her head, snuggled her close with his arms tightly around her small body, and pulled the covers up over both of them. Julie fell asleep quickly, exhausted from the last three days of emotional anguish, but Ben forced himself to stay awake. He would have to get them both out of his bed when his parents came home, but more than that, he was so happy just to have Julie with him like this, in his arms and in his life.

He had to have her with him and that as the truth of the matter. So it wasn't scripted and safe like an old comic book and his powers were on a timer, but maybe that was the kind of life they would have. Maybe they would be lucky just to be alive and to have each other because Will Harangue was still spreading his incestuous lies about Ben and Gwen, the Forever Knights were still on the loose, and there were still a lot of bad guys floating around in space. Reality was often messier and harder to believe than fiction, after all.

Ben smiled and held Julie closer.

Even in sleep, she whispered his name, her face pink and happy.

His broken heart pieced itself back together as he breathed in the scent of her body. Julie, his girl, his love, his everything. It had been pure Hell to be so apart from her, to be hurting her and himself for her protection. It was tough to be a hero most of the time.

On the desk, his mobile phone lit up with a text message from his cousin. Loathe to move but worried in case Gwen needed him or something, he reached out and grabbed it to see what she had said. The message was short and sweet—'_You should just listen to your _heart_, Ben. Deep down, you're always right_.'

**~End, Complete~**

And, drum roll, please—we are finished!

Phew, who believes that this was supposed to just be a one-shot? I kind of failed, right?

First, DROP me a REVIEW! Does everybody _HATE_ Ben for being such a _BLOCKHEAD_? How about _Will Harangue_? Think I _TORTURED BEN _and_ JULIE _way too much (but it's because they're so easy to be mean to, though I always make sure to give everybody a happy ending!)? Are _PERMANENTLY DISGUSTED_ and can no longer even watch _BEN 10_ thanks to me? _LOVED_ it? _HATED_ it? Are _SCARED FOR LIFE_ because of _EPIC_ making out? (FLAMES will be used to roast marshmallows and weenies!) Think I need to do more editing before I post chapters? Post to slow? Chapters are too short? Too long? Yada, yada, yada…

Second, I own nothing except any original characters and plot ideas. (Even though I really don't think this was too original and there are no OCs in here.)

Third, check out my first ORIGINAL NOVEL! The Breaking of Poisonwood by **Paradise Avenger**. (Summary: People were dead. When Skye Davis bought me at a slave auction as a birthday present for his brother, I had no idea what my new life was going to be like, but I had never expected _this_. It all started when Venus de Luna was killed and I was to take her place, to become the new savior… Then, bad things happened and some people died. In the heart of the earth, we discovered the ancient being that Frank Davis had found and created and used to his advantage. The _Poisonwood_—)

Questions, comments, concerns?

_**REVIEW!**_


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